DIY longtail -could it be this easy?

[gogo]

Check out this guy's DIY longtail:

longtail.jpg (156.41 KiB) Viewed 3632 times

Although it won't allow for the same deck height over the back wheel, it might be more sturdy than an xtracycle. It should even be possible to replace the top struts with a long shock absorber to make a suspension longtail.

The rest of the pictures in full definition:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7675758@N03/sets/72157611969221412/

[swbluto]

YES. I can totally see how this could work out. Place a suspension on the back attaching to the seat area, mount an R/C motor in the rear triangle like the "spoke monkey" and you have an extra handy, extra powerful comfortable bicycle. Perfect combination for hauling larger loads! Now only, if only, I had an area to do fabrication.

[TylerDurden]

Nice... I would extend continuous struts past the seatposts: from over the wheel to the front of the original frame. That gets a strong rack and should reduce twist on the added section.

[etard]

Right on TD, that's exactly what it needs. Also, it could be even easier to add a shock and extend a square bar through the bottom bracket as the pivot/ passenger pegs, if you wanted to add one.

[dogman]

Mabye just use a rear suspension bike for the rear part? Somehow, you could mount the downtube of the suspension frame so it aligns with the rear stays of the front bike. Hmm, I got lotsa frames laying around.

[Dee Jay]

Hi dudes !

I love this idea. SO SIMPLE !

I found four abandoned bikes today, two 20" folders, and two 26" road bikes (?) I will see if I can legally acquire these puppies.

Check out my photochopped pic!

2620tandem.jpg (48.04 KiB) Viewed 3410 times

I may not have to build an extension for my Revive after all. And with junk bikes like these, I wouldn't feel too bad leaving it parked outdoors.

It won't be pedal forward.. but tandem enough to ride my son in the lower seat, baby girl in a child carrier at the rear, groceries at the front in large basket...

Since there won't be suspensions, I may build suspensions on both seat posts using fork suspension parts.

I'm still a bit fuzzy on how to connect steering linkages to the rear ... any ideas ? I would need to make the linkages detachable in order to fold the front for elevator rides as well as storage

This could hold me over till I get my monotube build (from scratch) done.

J

[TylerDurden]

DJ, maybe make the back portion fold... fuji made a full-size folder in the eighties that you might copy:

fuji1.jpg (213.72 KiB) Viewed 3374 times

pull the seatpost to fold

[Dee Jay]

DJ, maybe make the back portion fold... fuji made a full-size folder in the eighties that you might copy:

fuji1.jpg

pull the seatpost to fold

Hi TD!

I'm not looking for a way to fold the 26" because the 20" is a folding bike.

What I'm trying to figure out is how to rig a handle bar under my saddle in such a way that would make it easy for me to mount the bike.. I'm not sure if having to turn the handle bar just so I get on the bike would be the best configuration or even safe.

The red line I drew is where I imagine the steering linkage would run, under my son's saddle, and possibly run further back under my saddle.

I was thinking of an ape-hanger rigged under his saddle but my concern of having the handle bar there is my son acting like a four year old *wink* and might interfere with the steering.

J

[TylerDurden]

What I'm trying to figure out is how to rig a handle bar under my saddle in such a way that would make it easy for me to mount the bike.. I'm not sure if having to turn the handle bar just so I get on the bike would be the best configuration or even safe.

Maybe let the bar ends fold down, like motorcycle rear footpegs, inverted.

[vanilla ice]

Check out the "home built xtracycle" thread here:

http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=261

Also, cheap old tandems are an easier way to get a longtail going..

[Dee Jay]

Great info Vanilla Ice, thanks!

Awesome builds on there. Very clean, solid, functional bikes!

My fave has to be this one with the M249 "SAW" !

J

[Zoot Katz]

Great info Vanilla Ice, thanks!

Awesome builds on there. Very clean, solid, functional bikes!

My fave has to be this one with the M249 "SAW" !

J

bah. A scabbard is only properly mounted on a front fork leg.
You've got enough seating for a tail gunner. Get one

[Mathurin]

Yeah I built me one of these in spring two years ago, POS mtb + back end of a POS dual musher + old mtb handlebar + creative use of a drill, bolts & nuts, then two racks + a board on them + wood to make pegs and hand holder things, fenders, rear hub motor, lead batteries duck taped into nooks & crannies. Super easy and worked real good (frocking massive, musta weighed at least 40kgs, and handles like a truck...) Chopped it back into a shitty mtb last winter cause my legs sucked too much, still have most of the parts tho. Pretty sure Justin took a pic of it while we were on the plaines d'abraham. Super easy, just do it mang.

[Dee Jay]

bah. A scabbard is only properly mounted on a front fork leg.

On the fork leg ? That bike would handle like a pig!

You've got enough seating for a tail gunner. Get one

Yeah, I can recruit my 4 year old as tail-gunner, like them congo militia do ... : lol :

Ok, bad joke.

J

[Dee Jay]

Super easy, just do it mang.

Hell ya, it's in the works.. made some calls to my peoples today.

J

[dogman]

Hee hee, the one with the scabbard is a real New Mexico bike. I used to dove and quail hunt and had only a motorcycle for transport. Always my turn at a 4 way stop for some reason. Hard to tell for sure, but that one looked like it had rear suspension.

[oldhaq]

My bike has added 24" mtb rear suspension. It wasn't too hard, welded up a bracket to bolt onto the rear triangle to take a shockie.
It feels great, takes a few corners to get used to the long wheelbase.
That allowed me to mount the batteries with a low centre of gravity, on the axis between the axles, and makes it easy to shift weight.
The hardest part was getting the chain clearance, the chain guide helps stop it swaying.

[spinningmagnets]

oldhaq, thats a great idea! My personal taste is towards a different frame, but now I want one.

I haven't finished my first project, I'm still working on my second, and now I want to start this third...Endless Sphere is really starting to annoy my wife.

[dogman]

I bet that rides real sweet. My mediumtail, that used to be the trike, is just about 4" longer than my MTB. Wow what a difference in the feel of the bike! It really corners nice to me. The seat on it is about 6" lower than the MTB. Unfortunately, it's just about 1" too long to fit on a bus bikerack. Might have to lower it some more, with 24" tires.

[spinningmagnets]

Here's Justin on his "Cross-Canada" touring bike. One of the problems with a non-hub design is finding the space to mount the motor and possibly a 2-stage drive. Another problem is many people (especially older folks like me) prefer a seating position that is a little more laid-back.

I recently bought a MTB because it was the cheapest way to get fat tires, suspension, and a front disc brake. However, my first choice is not the standard handle-bar/seat geometry.

By using a hard-tail with a suspension A-frame added to the back, I can have all 3 things. Recumbent seat that is lower/farther-back than stock seat. Reversed handlebar head with laid-back "moustasche" bars. plenty of frame room for non-hub motor and gear-down. From my younger motorcycle days, I much prefer the Honda Rebel seating position (shown in pic) rather than the "sport-bike" seating geometry.

I now very much like the idea of a 26" front wheel (suspension/disc-brake) with 24" rear (dirt cheap at thrift stores) added to a hard-tail



"At what age do you tell a highway its adopted?" -Steven Wright

[spinningmagnets]

The more I think about it...the next bike I would build might be a 26" hardtail with double disc brakes (I can add a rear V-brake, and use the rear disc wheel to make a left-side-sprocket for my wifes bike) and I add a 24" rear suspension arm from a $20 thrift-store MTB.

I had bought a 26" MTB from WM, for only $200 it had a front disc brake, but after converting it to a semi-recumbent ("beach cruiser" seating position) its a little tail-heavy/nose-light. When going uphill and hitting a small bump it almost pops a wheelie. I also noticed the front tire braking and steering isn't as solid as I would like because of the weight distribution.

Here's another longtail pic just for conversation. Its a "Madsen" saw one today, rear wheel is a 20", rear V-brake, no suspension. This is similar to what I think I might end up doing as far as size and layout...

[Edit: insert link] http://www.madsencycles.com/

[vanilla ice]

I have a few old tandems, one a 60's frame with no rear BB installed. I guess that makes it a longtail. Great kid hauler, and was cheap also. I wouldn't trust the old frame with the weight of two adults anyway so it kind of works out.. I'm thinking of converting it to rear steer like Justin's (or double steer) with 4 heim joints and 2 linkages. Probly sucks to have my back blocking the nice view!

[vanilla ice]

I used to dove and quail hunt and had only a motorcycle for transport. Always my turn at a 4 way stop for some reason.

Lolz. My buddy didn't own a four wheel vehicle until he was in his 50's. For a while he was wanting to take his gun to the shooting range on his motorcycle, and while technically legal, he was talked out of it by law enforcement. I don't think that would fly in socal.

[spinningmagnets]

Heres a DIY longtail build-log with pretty good pics:

http://www.velocide.com/cargo_bike.html

[spinningmagnets]

http://www.oldfool.org/2010/01/old-fools-journal-cargo-bike-update-3-i.html